Transformable lifting appliance



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Jan. 30, 1934- A. FAURE ET AL 1,944,972

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Jan. 30, 1934- A. FAURE m- AL TRANSFORMABLE LIFTING APPLIANCE Filed Feb. 9, 1932 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 //VVEN7'0RS 2w; 6%? 1 W 0% ymm 9. San M A 7' TDRNEY Jan. 30, A FAURE r AL TRANSFORMABLE LIFTING APPLIANCE Filed Feb. 9, 1952 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented Jan. 30, 1934 STATES TRANSFORMABLE LIFTING APPLIANCE Andr Faure and Antoine Faure, Firminy, Loire, France Application February 9,

1932, Serial No. 591,832,

and in France February 28, 1931 Claims.

The object of the present invention is a set of parts whereby lifting appliances adapted for various entirely diiferent applications can be set up, by employing some or all the parts in combi- 5 nation.

The set of parts comprises a lifting appliance consisting of a winding gear, a carriage carrying a horizontal plate on a Vertical pivot, a bracket with a horizontal spindle on said plate, a hollow 101 post which can be mounted upon said horizontal spindle, one or more hollow posts which can be added end to end to the first post, a truss having two sides of different lengths either of which can be secured to said posts and which can be 15. hinged at its ends direct upon said horizontal spindle, and a series of tie bars, but it will be understood that not all the parts need be in use together, as will be understood from the description which follows.

Some of the modes in which these parts can be used in combination are shown in the accompanying drawings but it is to be understood that these examples are not limitative.

These examples embody the parts above mentioned in their preferred forms.

Figures 1 to 9 show the respective examples, Figures l-S being perspective views and Figure 9 a side elevation with certain parts in section. Figure 10 is an elevation of one of the'upper 301 posts, and

Figure 11 is a section on the line XIX[ of Figure 10. a p

In Figure 1 the lifting appliance is constituted by a bent lattice truss, of suitable profile, stayed 35. and braced to prevent deformation. The convex outer boom a-b constitutes a tie and post while the concave inner boom cd forms a strut. It will be observed that the truss is of duplex construction, which affords lateral rigidity and that 4.0. apart from the spindles or pins at the apices, the convex boom incorporates no cross members between the duplex members a and b.

The truss is fixed by its lower end e on a plate ,7 movable in its own plane about a vertical pivot g. Tie-bars h-h' connect the elbow of the truss to a box i receiving the motor winding unit. Ties 7'7" complete the assembly described and ensure its rigidity and stability.

This assembly can turn about the vertical axis of the pivot g carried by a carriage Z by the aid of brackets m, m, m", m, arranged in opposite pairs. The carriage is further provided with wheels enabling it to move either on the ground or on rails. Regulating screws 11., n, n", n, enable the carriage to be fixed and also to control its inclination to the horizontal. The lifting cable 0 in this form passes over a single loose pulley p. r In Figure 2, the box 1 carrying the driving gear is no longer mounted on the plate J but independently of the lifting appliance. This is the fairly frequent case where the appliance must work with its carriage placed at a certain height above the ground, while it is operated from the ground. The tie bars h." and h are therefore fixed directly to the plate. The stability of the lifting appliance is therefore ensured by a suitable counterweight or load 2" placed on the plate, replacing the box. The lifting cable which passes over three loose pulleys I q and r, descends to the winding drum along the axis of the pivot.

In Figure 3 the bent lattice truss is no longer mounted directly on the rolling or base carriage. It is fixed by one of its sides or faces, a or b in this instance the smaller, at a convenient height, along a rigid post 1, determining with the latter a vertical plane in which the load is manipulated.

This post which is similar in many respects to that shown in Figure 10, is a tube longitudinally of truncated conical form consisting of two flanged half tubes riveted at intervals at diametrically opposite points. At its lower end and externally a gusset 2 is riveted to the post in the same plane as the 'junction between the tubes, that is to say in the diametral plane. This gusset is bored to receive a pin 3 mounted upon the bracket 4 rigid with the turning plate 1.

Along its length and in an axial plane perpendicular to that of junction of the half tubes, holes such as 5, 5', 5" are provided at suitable spacing and at diametrically opposite points, permitting the attachment by means of a spindle or pin, of tie bars such as h secured at their other ends to the box 2'. These holes 5, 5' etc., also enable the truss to be secured to the post. It will be seen that the duplex construction of the truss enables the opposite members to fit on opposite sides of the post to which it is secured by bolts or the like passing through the apices of the truss. These may pass through the same holes in the truss as the spindle at e and the spindle of pulley q, in Figure 2. The distance between spindles e and q and q and p in Figure 2 must then be an integral multiple of the'spacing of the holes 5, 5', 5" etc., in the post.

By virtue of its articulation about the horizontal axis 3 the tubular post can be used either vertically, as is shown in full lines in Figure 3, or in any oblique position as indicated in dotted lines in the same figure.

In Figure 4 the lattice truss is omitted; the post which must necessarily be inclined, serves as the jib.

Figure 5 is a variation of Figure 3 in which the appliance is intended for use above ground level while the driving gear (not shown) remains on the ground. In this case the load lifting cable passes down to the winding drum along the axis of the post whether the latter be directed vertically or obliquely. When the cable has to iio pass through the interior of the post it is important that the pulley q should be displaced with respect to the axis of the latter. For this reason the bracket 6 carrying it is furnished with two sets of spindle holes, one set 6a corresponding to the use of the cable according to Figures 3 and 4 and the other 6b to its use according to Figures 5 and 6.

Figure 6 is a variation of Figure 4 in which the motor gear remains on the ground. In both the two last embodiments stability is ensured by a suitable load or counterweight i.

Whatever variation be adopted, the plate 1 always remains rotatable in its own plane about the axis of the pivot. The lifting appliance can therefore work indifierently in any vertical plane passing through the axis of the pivot.

In Figure 7 the lifting appliance comprises a post consisting of two elements 1 and 1 adjoining end to end. The first element, the lower, is that described above. The upper element 1' is constructed in exactly the same manner of two flanged riveted half-tubes and is of truncated conical form longitudinally. Below, that is to say towards its larger base, this element is solid with a collar consisting of two half rings 7 joined by any suitable device such as nuts and bolts 8, 8. For a certain height from the lower end the two half tubes forming the element are not riveted together. The flanges therefore have a certain space between them, and this part of the post forms a split socket. By manipulating the nut and bolt devices 8 and 8' it is possible to separate the two half-tubes in the non-riveted part, and thus to slip them over the upper end of the base element 1. The depth of penetration of the latter is limited by the start of the double line of rivets. It suffices therefore to tighten the nuts and bolts to effect rigid interconnection of the two elements 1 and 1'.

As is shown in full lines the bent lattice truss is secured to the upper element by one of its outer faces in the example the longer I), along the post, thus determining the latter a vertical plane in which the load will be manoeuvred.

Tie bars such as h as well as cables such as s attached to the upper part of the post at one end and to the counterweight at the other, ensure and complete the stability of the lifting appliance.

In Figure 8 a variation is shown, in which the bent lattice truss is omitted and where the post again consisting of two elements placed end to end is used at a suitable inclination to the vertical.

It is understood that the number of elements of the post, their lengths and their mode of assembly can vary within considerable limits without departing from the invention.

Finally in Figure 9 there is shown another variation in which the truncated conical post consisting of two or more elements is surmounted by a cylindrical tube to which is fixed by one of its sides, the bent lattice truss. In this case the rigidity of the assembly of the lifting appliance which thus works at a great height can be ensured by a collar 9 surrounding the cylindrical tube 10 and extending by an arm 11 conveniently fixed into a solid mass (for example a wall of a building).

Near its lower end the tube 10 has a shoulder 12 resting on the bracket of the upper element thus limiting its further entry into this element While leaving the lifting appliance its liberty of rotation about the axis of the post. In this use of the appliance the lifting cable descends along the axis of the post. Its guidance to the winding drum can be eifected by two pulleys such as t and u.

As is stated above the present description applies to several embodiments of which the enumeration is in no way limitative. All combinations of the elements described can be used without departing from the invention.

What We claim is:-

1. In a lifting appliance the combination of a post apertured at regular intervals, a truss having two sides of unequal length apertured at their ends at distances which are integral multiples of the spacing of the apertures in said post, and means adapted to traverse two end apertures in said truss and apertures in said post to secure said truss to said post by either of its said sides.

2. In a lifting appliance the combination of a post diametrically apertured at regular intervals over at least a part of its length, a truss having 106 two adjacent sides of unequal lengths, said sides having substantially parallel duplex side members spaced apart by the diameter of said post, said sides being apertured at their ends at distances apart which are a multiple integral of the spacing of the apertures in said post, and means adapted to traverse two end apertures in one side member of said truss, then two apertures in said post and then the apertures in the corresponding duplex parallel side member, 110 whereby said truss can be secured to said post by either of said unequal sides with the parallel duplex members located on diametrically opposite sides of said post.

3. In a lifting appliance the combination of an extensible post structure apertured at regular intervals over at least a part of its length, a truss having two sides of unequal length apertured at their ends at distances which are integral multiples of the spacing of the apertures in said post, and means adapted to traverse two end apertures in said truss and apertures in said post to secure said truss to said post by either of its said sides.

4. In a lifting appliance the combination of a pivotally supported post apertured at regular intervals over at least a part of its length, a truss having two sides of unequal length apertured at their ends at distances which are integral multiples of the spacing of the apertures in said post, and means adapted to traverse two end apertures in said truss and apertures in said post to secure said truss to said post by either of its said sides.

5. In a lifting appliance the combination of a pivotally supported extensible post structure apertured at regular intervals over at least a part of its length, a truss having two sides of unequal length apertured at their ends at distances which are integral multiples of the spacing of the apertures in said post, and means adapted to traverse two end apertures in said truss and apertures in said post to secure said truss to said post by either of its said sides.

- ANDRE FAURE.

ANTOINE FAURE. 

